


ask me if i ever loved

by kahvikummitus



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Post-Movie: Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), i guess it's one-sided hermann/newt bcos newt is unconscious for this entire fic but!!, newt does love hermann though like that's not debatable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 01:11:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14124897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kahvikummitus/pseuds/kahvikummitus
Summary: Post-Uprising - Hermann will do anything to help Newt.





	ask me if i ever loved

**Author's Note:**

> I guess we're joining the angsty post-Uprising fic club. (I've actively avoided fics like this because I'm not ready to be sad (although apparently my brain disagrees because it woke me up with this fic idea) so apologies if someone else has written pretty much the exact same thing.)
> 
> This is a one-shot, so though it ends on a mild cliffy I'm not expecting to continue this story. I imagine it all ends happily, though.

Hermann wants to be there when Newt is brought in, but no one thinks to tell him, so they've already got Newt tied up in a cell by the time Hermann hears of it. He convinces people to let him past - "I know him better than anyone" and "I've drifted with him" and "I'm the only other person to have ever drifted with a kaiju" allowing him access.

Ranger Pentecost is there, waiting for Newt to wake up, and Hermann isn't sure what to say to him. Everyone on the base is grieving for Mako, but she was Jake's sister, and she was killed by Newt. Maybe it wasn't _Newt_ , but Hermann understands it looks that way to a lot of people.

"What are you here for?" Jake asks.

"Newt's still in there somewhere. I know-- I spoke to him. I wanted to see if I could help."

"He-- that _thing_ \-- is evil. What are you gonna do? You can't true love's kiss him back."

Hermann looks over at Newt, and it's a stupid idea, it was never going to work, but damn if he isn't going to try everything. He kneels awkwardly, painfully next to Newt and presses his lips to his. Newt's eyes remain closed. There is no magical wind that picks up; no hissing and screaming precursor spirits being driven out. Hermann lets himself down onto the floor, but he holds on to Newt's hand. At least that worked before.

Jake's expression has changed now.

"Look, Dr. Gottlieb-- uh, you should probably let go of him if he does wake up, I don't want you hurt-- but, do you wanna talk about it?"

Hermann refuses to let go of Newt, but he does talk. It's uncharacteristic of him, or at least he would have thought so ten years ago, but over the years he's noticed a lot of Newt in himself.

"I should have realised years ago that something was wrong. I've _drifted_ with him. But when he left, I just thought he didn't want to be near me anymore. That he didn't want... me. It made sense, he never liked me and I don't know why I thought it might be different then."

There's a lot Hermann leaves unsaid, too. That while it has occurred to him it was the precursors who made Newt leave, he's still afraid that it was Newt's decision. That he _had_ been worried about Newt, but the bitterness of his perceived rejection (though no words of feelings were spoken either way) had prevented him from doing anything about it.

And maybe Jake doesn't understand the full extent to which Hermann blames himself, but he nods.

"You said you spoke to Newt. The real Newt."

"When he-- the precursors-- were trying to kill me. He tried to fight them. You understand, this is why I can't let him go. If I helped him break through for just a moment, then maybe I can do it again."

Jake has to rethink his plan. What he had planned, the extraction of information, all of it - he can't do that to Newt, if there is still a Newt. And he can't do it to Hermann. But he doesn't see the power of love working either.

"How are we going to do this, then?" he asks.

"I'm going to drift with him," Hermann replies. Jake is shocked by this, but only briefly, as it occurs to him he really should have expected this. And he's not going to try to prevent Hermann; only warn him.

"You could get yourself killed. Or you could end up like him."

"Perhaps."

Jake makes sure there are guards in place, outside the cell, and inside, where Hermann still sits on the floor with his hand in Newton's. And he goes to get the equipment.


End file.
